A dad arrested for murder after trying to save a woman crushed to death by a wardrobe in her hotel room went through the harrowing experience of being locked up and told he could get life in jail.
Chloe Haynes, 21, was found dead in her room at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool city centre on September 10 after travelling from Pwllheli, Wales, for a night out.
Her heartbroken mum, Nicola Williams, believed the incident was caused when she pulled on the door of the heavy furniture, possibly mistaking it for the bathroom door, when it fell on her.
When her friend returned to the room she found her body under the wardrobe and ran out screaming for help, prompting a number of guests to try and lend a hand.
One of those was Wayne Kenny, 46, who gave Chloe CPR under guidance from a 999 operator until emergency services arrived.
Moments later, he was under arrest for murder before spending 10 hours behind bars, he told the Liverpool Echo.
He said: “I was staying at the Adelphi and I got up in the morning and at first I heard the commotion outside the door and heard some guy say 'she's not breathing' and I thought 'did I hear that right then?'.
"So I got dressed as I was going to go out with my boys. I had a day out planned for me and the two boys. I came out of the room and as I walked past the door was open."
Wayne said another man was attempting to give CPR but he felt he was better placed to help and said "can you please let me try?"
He added: "I have had some experience, but not fully medically trained obviously.
"I went in and I tried to give Chloe CPR. I think what I am struggling with is the fact I have done that not knowing she had been dead for hours. I had no idea."
According to Chloe's mum, Nicola Williams, by midnight Chloe was drunk and her friend escorted her back to the hotel room to sleep it off before heading back out. At some point during the early hours is when Chloe is believed to have opened the door of the wardrobe.
Wayne said he carried on giving CPR under the guidance of a 999 operator until paramedics came.
He said the emergency service officers thanked him and told him to go back to his room. It was then when Wayne had a knock on the door from police.
"I went back to my room and I started to get ready. I got in touch with the boys to go out for the day.
"The police knocked and said 'you are the guy that was in the room a minute ago?' I said yes, absolutely and he said 'right you're under arrest' and I said for what? And he said 'for murder.'
"I said 'are you serious?' and he said 'yes, absolutely'."
Mr Kenny was taken to custody where he had his clothes taken off him, was put in a paper suit in a "freezing" cell and "interrogated".
Wayne said: "I feel bad talking about what I went through because I haven't lost my life. But yeah, they took nail clippings, I had hardly any nails as I was just biting away at them but they were adamant in getting them.
"They took a bit of my hair and swabs, fingerprints."
The dad claims that when in the police station, a custody attendant told him he could "get life."
He added: "He said to me 'you committed the murder didn't you?' and I said 'I have come in accused of it'."
He added: "As you can imagine, when he had left, I was thinking could I get accused for something I haven't done, could they make a mistake? To be thinking that for 10 hours was hard work.
"I think, because what he had also done by talking about it in the hallway, there were other people in custody and they were shouting 'wait till you get to prison'."
Mr Kenny, Chloe’s friends and another man were all eventually released with no further action taken.
He said he has also been let go from agency work but doesn't regret trying to help Chloe, and his thoughts are with her family.
He said: "I keep seeing her face a lot. In my dreams she comes alive and I get her back and she comes back. I keep having the same dream."
Chloe's mum, Nicola Williams, previously told the ECHO: "When the police came [the men] had to be taken away for questioning. It did sting when we read they had been arrested, they had tried to help her."
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “In the first 24 hours of an investigation it is essential all evidence is gathered.
“In this investigation the circumstances were not clear so we had to be guided by golden hour principles which includes the immediate collection of evidence to ascertain what has taken place.
“As soon as it became apparent that there were no suspicious circumstances the three men were all released without further action taken.
“At this moment in time we have not received a complaint and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
